Swingletree.



W. L. COLLINS & P. D. & W. K. SHEPPARD.

SWINGLETREE.

AYPLIOATION FILED MAY 11. 1909.

950,438. Patented Feb. 22, 1910.

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WILLIAM L. COLLINS, PEARL I). SHEPPARD, AND \VAYNE K. SHEPPARD, OFCAIRO, WEST VIRGINIA.

SWINGLETREE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. .1 910.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, 1V lLLIAM L. Cor,- LINs, PEARL D. SHEPPARD, and\Vnrnn K. SHEPPARD, citizens of the United States, residing at Cairo, inthe county of Ritchie and State of est Virginia, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Swinglctrees; and we do hereby declarethe following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itapper- 1 t ains to make and use the same.

Our invention relates to new and useful improvements in swingle treesand our obj ect is to provide a device of this class which will bestrong and durable in construction and light in weight.

A further object is to provide means for attaching a swinglc tree to adouble tree or similar object and a still further object is to providemeans for attaching a tug or trace to the ends of the swingle tree.

Other objects and advantages will be hereinafter referred to and moreparticularly pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this application, Figure lis a plan Fig. 2 is an edge elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is an endelevation of the swingle tree, and, Fig. 4 is a plan View of one of thetrace hooks removed from the swingle tree.

Referring to the drawings in which similar reference numerals designatecorresponding parts throughout the several views, 1 indicates the bar ofour improved swingle tree, which is preferably constructed of hollowpiping, the ends of which are closed by means of caps 2.

Secured at the longitudinal center of the bar 1 is a clip 3, the tubularportion of which terminates in parallel ears 1, between which is locatedin practice a filler block, the block being held in position between theears and the clip securely clamped on the bar by extending rivets or thelike 6 through the ears and such filler block. The cars 4; extend beyondthe tiller block and have fixed between the extended portions, a cle'vis7 the ends of which are secured between the ears by means of bolts 8,the recess 9 between the arms of the clevis communicating with a recess10 in the ends of the ears to form an opening for the reception of alink or other parts of the double tree (not shown) 1 and it will bereadily seen that when the link is seated in said opening and both endsof the clevis secured by the bolts, the swingle tree will be securelyheld in position on the double tree.

A truss rod 1.1 is extended from end to end of the bar 1, the ends ofsaid rod extending through openings 12 in the wall of the bar andthrough the caps 2, where they are secured in any suitable manner as bybeing upset, the rod in its passage from end to end of the bar, beingextended between the ears -1 and over the end of the filler block,thereby disposing the central portion of the rod a distance from theface of the bar and forming a perfect brace for the bar, as the straintherein will be minimized by the rod.

Applied to the extreme ends of the bar 1 are auxiliary clips 13,terminating in the ears 1 1, between and to which are pivotallyconnected hooks 15, 17, to receive the ends of the traces 1(3, or rings,as shown, the pivotal connections between said hooks and said ears beingeffected by means of bolts 18. The hooks 15, 17 are each formed with abeak having its inner wall 19 inclined laterally and inwardly, the innerend of the inclined wall thus formed terminating at a point near to aline passing through the hook and the pivotal point thereof, said hookbeing thus formed with a throat at the inner end of said inclined wallwhereby it will be noted that as stress is delivered upon the trace, ortug, the pulling strain will be substantially parallel with a linepassing through the pivot of the hook and thus prevent the lateraldisplacement or unlocking of the hook. The cars 14 are formed withopposite slots, or recesses, 20, the general trend of which is in thedirection of the longitudinal axis of the ears, the inner wall of eachof said recesses, however, being inclined toward the throat of the hookand the outer ends of said ears, as at 21, the inclination of which ispa 'allel with the inclination of the inner wall of the beak 19 of thehook, whereby as stress is delivered upon the trace or tug, the engaginglink of the latter will be directed diagonally into the throat of thehook in order to aid in concentrating the pulling strain upon the hookat a point contiguous to a line passing through the pivot of said hook,as above stated. It is also noted that by reason of this constructionand arrangement of parts the hook can be freely swung laterally torelease the ring after the ring is seated in the closed end of the slot20. The ears 14 are also provided with extra holes 22 through which maybe introduced a bolt when it as desired to use a clevis in connectionwith the auxiliary clips.

It will thus be seen that we have provided a very cheap and durable formof swingle tree and one that is securely braced against bending whenstrain is directed against the ends thereof and it will be likewise seenthat when the clevis is properly attached to a double tree or the likeand the bolts placed in position, it will be impossible to release theswingle tree until one of the bolts is again removed. It will further beseen that in view of the construction of the hook and slot therein, theends of the trace will be securely held in engagement with the hooks andprevented from disengage ment therewith regardless of the position ofthe draft animals and while we have shown and described the device as aswingle tree, it will be readily understood that the various attachmentsmay be employed in connection with a neck yoke and that the swin de treemay be used in connection with whiflle trees and other. devices of asimilar nature. It will likewise be readily understood that the clip atthe center of the bar and the auxiliary clips at the ends thereof may beused with a swingle tree or other and laterally and a hook having itsshank pivoted between said ears, and having a beak, the inner wall ofwhich beak is inclined laterally and inwardly, about parallel with theinclined walls of said recesses, said inclined walls of the beak andrecesses being distant from each other and the inclined wall of the beakbeing arranged forward of the inclined walls of said recesses, the outerterminals of the inclined walls of said recesses being at a point near aline passing through the pivotal point of connection be tween said hookand ears.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WVILLIAM L. COLLINS. PEARL D. SHEPPARD. WVAYN E K. SHEPPARD. Witnesses:

H. O. DAVIS, Gno. H. FORTNER.

